I always wondered how “Dugout Doug” MacArthur got his paws on a
Distinguished Flying Cross, and I finally found out how this medal-grabbing
coward got his DFC.
You have to be a monumental jerk to have your
only son change his name (Arthur MacArthur IV and hide in Greenwich
Village under an assumed name.
Willy the Whip
Whenever a
general has a nickname, it’s usually a bad sign, and Major General William
Tunner was no exception. A butt-kiss of the first order, Wee Willy
Tunner started a mutual admiration society with Dugout Doug MacArthur,
lavishing medals on each other like two star-crossed lovers. This from
the book “Anything, Anywhere, Anytime: Combat Cargo of the Korean War”
by William Leary.
On page 9 we see who an old man 5-star Army general got
the Distinguished Flying Cross as a party favor from one of his underlings,
with quote is dripping with sarcasm:
“MacArthur modestly
took credit for what he considered a brilliant tactical maneuver that would
complete the destruction of the North Korean Army. To MacArthur’s
surprise and pleasure, Stratemeyer presented him (General Douglas MacArthur)
with the Distinguished Flying Cross for his “outstanding heroism and
extraordinary achievement” while participating in aerial flights to Korea.
MacArthur, in turn, awarded Tunner the Distinguished Service Cross.”
Now you might say that they should just grab the honors and move-on, but
only those with real personal integrity have the character to turn-down
underserved accolades.
